Arthrobacter sp., SEM

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Arthrobacter sp., Gram-positive to Gram-variable, coryneform, pleomorphic, soil bacterium. This Arthrobacter species has been found to biodegradable crude oil. It is known that native oil-degrading microorganisms are common in nature. They can be isolated from contaminated soils and other environments subjected to crude oil and other oil based products. Arthrobacter species are also known to degrade other polyaromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Arthrobacter is unique because of its unusual habit of snapping division in which the outer cell wall ruptures at a joint. This type of cell division in which rods break into cocci is referred to as reversion. This genus can survive in heavy metal contaminate soil. Magnification: x2,400 when shortest axis printed at 25 millimetres.